Urban Meyer labeled it a “big-time game” and then coached like it.
There’s aggressive, and then there’s what No. 3 Ohio State did in a 45-24 blowout at No. 14 Oklahoma on Saturday. There’s only one to come out and say it.
This was a professional ass-kicking by a young-and-fearless team that’s taking a cue from its coach. You don’t get to 19-0 in true road games under Meyer without that professionalism on the road. He would give a professional answer afterward.
“We found a bunch of courageous guys who went into a hostile environment,” Meyer said on the FOX telecast afterward. “The great thing is we can get a lot better.”
That’s a scary thought. The Buckeyes staked their claim for No. 2 — and perhaps No. 1 or No. 1A with Alabama — with this convincing victory. We’re three weeks into the season and Nick Saban and Meyer have their teams on top. In other words, what else is new?
Ohio State set the tone with a fourth-and-1 in the first quarter, which Curtis Samuel busted for a 36-yard touchdown run. That was the first statement. J.T. Barrett hit Noah Brown for one, two, three, four TD passes. The Sooners didn’t have an answer for Brown, who pinned one TD catch on the back of Oklahoma defensive back Michiah Quick with six seconds left in the first half. The Buckeyes scored 35 first-half points.
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The Buckeyes also rushed for 291 yards and 6.1 yards per carry with Barrett, Samuel and Michael Weber leading the way. The defense had two more interceptions, including 68-yard interception return for a touchdown by Jerome Baker. This is a complete team – one that lost 16 starters from last year. That’s ridiculous.
Aside from maybe Louisville, no team made a bigger-and-better statement in Week 3. Consider what they did in that hostile environment. Oklahoma entered the night with a 97-8 record at home under Bob Stoops. The only loss that was worse was a 48-14 blowout against Baylor in 2014. The Buckeyes made it look a little too easy against a team that could still go out and win the Big 12.
In the process, Ohio State is back in familiar territory and more than prepped for the battles to come with Michigan and Michigan State in the Big Ten East Division. They still have to play cross-over games with Wisconsin and Nebraska, too, so it’s way too early to crown the Buckeyes the Big Ten champions. It’s not too early, however, to say they are absolutely the team to beat.
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And yes, they are still the best bet to challenge Alabama down the road. Saban and Meyer. Meyer and Saban. They are the coaches who leave no detail to chance, and it shows against the Top 10. Just look at those big-time coaches.
Since Meyer’s arrival in Columbus, he’s 12-3 against the Top 25. He wins 80 percent of the time. Saban, meanwhile, is 23-6 and at .793 in that situation. Those are the only schools that win 75 percent in that situation. They know how to coach in big-time games.
They embrace those big-time games. They don’t run from them. They run at them. So you be ready when face them.
Otherwise you’ll get a professional ass-kicking.
